Vehicle wheel



Dec. 26, 1922.

H. c. DAUPHINAIS.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

ORIGINAL mso NOV. 1, 191a.

I line DD of Fig. 3.

Patented 2%, 1922.

gun 321 HENRY o. DAUPHINAIS, or reset), nonrnns otre.

{versions WHEEL.

Application filed November 7, 1916, Serial No. 130,022. Renewed June 29,1922. Serial No.571,795.

filo all whom it may concern "tie it known that l, HENRY C. DAUPI-IIN-AIS, a cltizen of the United States. residing at Fargo, in the county ofCass and State oi North Dakota, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Vehicle Wheels, oi.

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to vehicle wheels, or.

the like, where a jar absorbing .wheel is desired and its object istoproduce wheels that will absorb jars without the use of pneumatictires.

I attain these objects by "having (1) a wheel structurally built in twomain sections, the hub, and the rim section; (2) interconununicatingpneumatic cushions, to

support the two sections,and sliding" guides pivotally connected intheir center to guide the two sections in relation to each other;' (3) apivotal collar-ball within each of said guides; (1) and other meansherebelow explained, with the help of accompanying drawings, in whichsimilar characters denote similar parts throughout: Thus,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a wheel constructed and arranged in accordancewith the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of Fig. 1,-

taken on line 22 ofFigurel:

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged cross section of the wheel, taken on line 3.3of Figure 1. Fig. 1 shows an enlarged View of the collar-ball, as shownin Figs. 3 and 5.

Fig. 5 is a cross section, taken on the Fig. 6 is a view of one of therings of the hub section. v i

Fig. 7 shows a'square collar that maybe used, instead of the collar-ballshown in Fig. 4c.

Fig. '8 shows one modified form of ring of the hub section.

In the hub section, 20 represents the hub, 5 the spokes thereof, whichare reduced in size at their outer ends, 23, so that the collar-balls,6, may be of reasonable size. The rim, 13, has in the case of athree-spoke wheel a triangular shape up to near the end of the spokeswhere it takes more the shape oil a regular rim, 24. Said rim hasprojections, or ears, 35, extending from the inner side of thetriangular rim so that the latter will be out of direct line with thespokes and thus may work free of the guidand the outer ends of thespokes, screw-bolts, 17, are inserted to hold the rim tothe spokes.

The rim section consists of the rim, 25, from which inwardly extend thespokes, 1,. having U-shape from their bases up,.and their iiases haveside projections, 22, thru whichbolts, 26, securethem to the rim. At theinner ends oi. the il -shaped spokes are attacl'ied the-rings, 2, 2; aring, .8, isat-. tached to the bottom of each U-shaped spoke and atthebottom of the guide plate, 9, by screw-bolt, 27; The rings, 2, 2,have on their inner sides the plate-'like brackets, 14. Said rings, 2,2, 8,and the brackets, 14, are apart of the rigid spokes and could allor most-oi it be in one piece. The rings, 2, 2, arc,-in this case, aboutone inch wide with their outer ends curved inward. Into them and passingthru the rings, 8, 10, 10, are inserted the pneumatic cushions, 7. Thecurved ends of the rings, 2, 2,- serve to keep said cushions from comingout, and. the openings, 16, are made insaid rings to engagecorresponding enlargements or butts made in the pneumaticcushions toprevent the latter from turning around in their receptacles. The rings,2, 2, are spaced from ring, 8, and into said spaces are placed movablerings, 10,10, to which reference will be made'later. A brace, 32,fastened by, bolts, 28 and 29, is placed between each spokeand the rimfor reinforcement. -The tubular ring, 3, connects all of the pnetv maticcushions. These cushionsare inflated by pumping air-thru the valve, 31.The projectionof the ring, 8, between the brackets, 1 1, is bent over tomake room for the 1nembers,'11 and 12. Plates, 9, are astened rigidly tothe plate-like brackets, 1 1, by means ofscrew-bolts, 15 and 27. Toguide, the spokes, 5, relativeto the spokes, '1, the guiding members orrods made mainly of two parts,z11 and 12, are em-' ployed. Into eachpart is a socket 1 into which the collar-ball, 6, pivotally fits, and

the guiding members are held-together by screw-bolts,-21. These memberspass slidably through the borings in the plates, 9,

and at their outer ends, 38, are rigidly 0011- nected to the rings,,10,by bolts, 34. Each of said members has a depression, 30, into which isplaced the end of the rubber sleeve, 2 41-, and the metalband, 18,fastened by bolt, 19.

The collar-ball, 6, is bored thru its center and placed slidably on thereduced part of the spoke, 5. It serves as a pivot for the guide rods,11 and 12, and for the spokes, 5, in the swinging movement of the planeof the wheel. Instead of a collar-ball, a square block with pins onoppositesides', as shown in Fig. 7, may be used. a

The ring, 10, is about one-fourth of an inch or more wide, byone-sixteenthoii an By pumping the air into the cushion, 7,

thru the air valve, 31, the divers parts'of the receptacles, 2, 2, 1O 8,and 10, come into unison and compel the hub and rim sections of thewheel to remain within their bounds while absorbing shocks and jars.

While in Figure the parts 2, 8 and 10 are shownas having close slidingconnection and in Figure 2, the same parts are shown as spaced, suchshowings are for the purpose of clearness.

It is understood that the construction of any parts of the wheel may bevaried, provided the objects and purposes in view are attained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters l atent, is:

1. A vehicle wheel comprising an outer rim section, and an inner hubsection, each or said sections provided with stub spokes projectingtoward each other, laterally spaced rings carried at the inner ends ofthe riin spokes, extensions projecting from said rings, perforatedbridges connecting the free ends or said extensions, the hub section,the stub spokes projecting radially therefrom, an approximatelytriangular brace attached thereto, centrally bored balls having slidableconnection with the hub section spokes,

I said balls rotatably mounted in guides whereby said guides are looselyconnected with said spokes, said guides extending through the aforesaidperforated bridges, rings projecting from the ends oi said guides saidrings positioned laterally in alinement with and interposed between therings, at the inner ends of the outer rim section stubspokes, inflatablecushions lying within the openings of said laterally alined rings saidcushion serving to key the rim and hub sections together, and means topneumatically connect said cushions.

2. Avehicle wheel consisting of an outer rim me1nber, stub spokesprojecting radially inwardly therefrom and having laterally spaced apartrings at their inner ends, inwardly projecting extensions angularly disposed with respect to said spokes, perforated bridges connecting thefree end or such extensions, an inner hub member, stub spokes projectingradially therefrom but angularly disposed with respect to theradialdirection of the rim member spokes, guide members passing slidablythrough the perforations oi? the aforesaid bridges and pivotallyconnected at their centers with the said hub member spokes, andinflatable cushions mounted within the aforesaid rings and the guidemembers, to couple the rim and hub members together. I

A vehiclewheel consisting of an outer rim member, stub spokes projectinginwardly therefrom and toward the axis oi the wheel,

rings rigidly secured to the inner ends of said spokes said ringsprovided with rigid inwardlyprojectingextensions, rigid bars bridgingand connecting said extensions, said bars provided with borings, a hubmember, stub spokesprojecting outwardly therefrom, a rigid brace rimconnected to the outer ends of said hub spokes, guide members looselyconnected to said hub spokes, a collar ball loosely connected to eachoi: said guides, and slidably mounted on said hub spokes, said guideextending tirough the aforesaid borings of the rigid bridging plates,rings carried at both ends of said guide members in line with andbetween the rigid rings at the inner ends of the rim men ber spokes, andpneumatic cushions inserted and held within the alined' rings of spokesand guides, whereby the rim member and the hub member are flexibly keyedto adjacent the inner end or the rim stub spokes. I

In testimony whereoi l have signed my name to this specification in thepresenceof two subscribing witnesses.

H. C. DAUPHINAIS.

Witnesses HAROLD P. TrroMsoN,

L. H. AMInoN.

ther

